The Best First Date I Ever Had
by dreamwriter32
Summary: Harry and Ginny go on their first date to Hogsmeade. What happens when Harry gets sick from lunch? Ginny becomes a caring girlfriend and nurses him back to health. Companion piece to Sirius's Sick Pup. I don't own Harry Potter.


**A/N: For the sake of this story, Harry and Ginny got together before the Department of Mysteries fiasco. Sirius didn't die and was instead freed and given custody of Harry.**

Ginny walked the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with a big smile on her face. She was dating Harry Potter – her childhood dream had come true! Her professors (well…all but Snape) had commented on how happy she looked, knowing that she and Harry were now together. It made Professor McGonagall especially happy to see the youngest Weasley walking hand-in-hand with Gryffindor's "Golden Boy", a smile on both their faces. Fully aware of his life with his relatives, she knew these past months had been the happiest of his life, and that they were just getting better and better. Nothing made her happier than knowing he had a loving home and a family now, something she knew he'd always craved.

It felt like just yesterday when that awful June day had taken a turn for the better and changed his life.

_FLASHBACK_

_Dumbledore was the first to come back from the Department of Mysteries, greeted by a pacing and near-frantic McGonagall._

"_Now, now, Minerva, you must not overexert yourself," he said by way of greeting. "Have a seat."_

_McGonagall, too pent-up to disagree, lowered herself into the nearest chair. "Well?" she asked._

"_Well, Fudge has seen that Lord Voldemort has returned. He's taken back everything he's said."_

"_I'm glad, but what about Potter?" McGonagall asked, trying to keep her tone calm._

"_A bit shaken up," Dumbledore admitted, seating himself behind his desk. He proceeded to explain that they had nearly lost Sirius, who had dodged a Killing Curse from Bellatrix Lestrange and lost his footing, nearly falling into the Veil. Thankfully Remus had caught him, but Harry hadn't noticed and went after Bellatrix in a rage. McGonagall found herself speechless as Dumbledore went on to explain how he had found Harry in a standoff with Voldemort._

_Before too long the Floo activated and Harry came out, followed by Sirius. Harry had just managed to dust himself off before Sirius grabbed the front of his shirt in a fist._

"_Harry James Potter." Harry cringed at the sound of his full name. "What were you thinking? Do you realize how dangerous that was? Bringing your friends and letting them get hurt? What possessed you to…?"_

"_THE THOUGHT OF LOSING YOU, THAT'S WHAT!" Harry shouted, cutting him off and making him lose his grip on his shirt. "YOU ARE THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE LEFT! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DEATH WOULD DO TO ME? I DON'T THINK I COULD TAKE IT! AND I TRIED TO COME ALONE, BUT THEY DIDN'T LISTEN!"_

_Harry started to break down in tears as Moody, Remus and Tonks entered the room, having heard him from down the hall._

"_WHAT POSSESSED ME WAS THAT I COULDN'T BEAR THE THOUGHT OF LOSING ANOTHER PERSON I CARED ABOUT!" Harry's breath hinged and his voice calmed down. "You showed me what a family is. The people I call family never give me the time of day. I went days without food; I was never hugged, never kissed, never anything but starved and beaten half to death."_

_Harry then really started to cry._

"_Even if you did die, I couldn't live with myself because it would be my fault."_

_Silence filled the room for several moments. Harry's tears were almost contagious to McGonagall and Dumbledore sat there in shock of what Harry had said about his family._

_Suddenly Sirius grabbed Harry in a long hug, quickly joined by Remus and Tonks._

"_Harry, did it ever occur to you that Voldemort planted that vision in your head?" Sirius asked once they had separated, wiping the tears from his godson's face with one finger._

"_For one second when I tried to call you on the Floo and Kreacher said you weren't there," Harry replied softly._

_Sirius shook for a few seconds before calming. The discussion then turned to a trial, as Peter Pettigrew had been captured, and a few days later Harry never had to worry about his aunt and uncle again. He moved in with Sirius and Remus, the former of whom was quite surprised to learn that his godson had a girlfriend._

"_So what's this I hear about you dating the Weasley girl?" he asked him on the boy's first night at Grimmauld Place._

"_Oi!" Remus shouted as Harry showered him in pumpkin juice._

"_Sorry, Remus. What? I…uh…"_

_Sirius laughed. "I asked about you and Ginny."_

_Remus Scourgified himself and smiled at the blush on Harry's face. He reminded them both of James, so much so it almost hurt._

"_How do you feel when you're around her?" Sirius asked, already knowing the answer._

"_Happy, but I also feel like my heart's about to pound out of me. I sometimes feel like I can't breathe, and my stomach feels weird, almost like it's doing a gymnastics routine."_

"_Y'know, your dad felt that way about a certain someone," Sirius explained. "And you have her eyes."_

"_Mum," Harry said with a smile._

"_Mm-hmm. When I see you and Ginny it's like I'm watching your parents all over again."_

"_Your mother was a gifted witch and a kind woman," Remus added, "just like Ginny. You both remind me of them."_

_Harry always enjoyed hearing stories about his parents; he craved them, considering he lived his childhood not knowing the truth._

_Another benefit of living with Sirius was having the ability to Floo to the Burrow whenever he wanted. He'd often spend the day there with Ginny and sometimes sweet-talked Molly into allowing her to go to Grimmauld Place and spend the day with him. The Weasley matriarch never could say no to his puppy dog face, and neither could her daughter._

"_Pup, you remind me of your dad every day," Sirius said after the young couple had engaged in a disastrous attempt at baking biscuits. "Seeing you with Ginny, it reminds me of when he and your mum started dating."_

_He then went on to tell Harry about James and Lily's first day, the first time they tried baking a cake, and about their first kiss. He continued to tell stories until his godson's head lolled onto his shoulder with a little smile on his face._

_Then Harry's birthday came, and the Weasleys and Hermione came to celebrate. Sirius, Remus and Molly watched Harry and Ginny play a childish game of hide-and-seek with Ron and Hermione._

"_I don't think I've ever seen Harry that happy. It's apparent he really does love Ginny."_

_Remus agreed whole-heartedly. "I don't remember the last time I saw him laugh this much. Must've been when he was a baby."_

_Sirius laughed as he watched Ginny crawl to base, only to be caught by Harry before she could touch the chair. The adults all smiled as the young couple then chased each other around the house in their own little game of tag. Nothing truly made Sirius as happy as he was that day, seeing that Harry finally, FINALLY, had some happiness in his life._

_END FLASHBACK_

Ginny was headed to the common room when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist. She shrieked in surprise as she was lifted off the ground for a moment.

"Harry!" she laughed when she realized it was her boyfriend.

Harry put her back on the ground and turned her to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him in the middle of the corridor.

"Hi," Ginny said with a smile once they broke apart.

"How was your day?" Harry asked as he took her bag and placed it on his shoulder. He then took her hand and they started walking.

"Long and boring," Ginny said, swinging their arms about. "O.W.L.s suck." She turned her Cheshire cat smile upon him, and Harry recognized trouble.

"Babe," she began. "What would it take for you to come and rescue me from our dear friend Hermione Granger?"

Harry thought for a moment. "I'll think of something," he promised. They gave the Fat Lady the password and separated, allowing Ginny to head up to her dorm to drop off her books. She sprinted down the stairs and found Harry at the base of the boys' dorm steps, nearly knocking him down as she ambushed him. This caught him by surprise for a moment before he recovered and they proceeded to snog. Eventually they broke apart, both panting for breath.

"Wow," Harry replied, breathless. "What was that for?"

"Because I can," Ginny replied with a smile.

"Say, Ginny, do you want to go to Hogsmeade this weekend with me?" Harry asked.

"Of course!"

They went down to the Great Hall for dinner, holding hands and smiling. They passed some of Ginny's friends on the way and they smiled at how happy she was. This was a dream eleven years in the making, come true at last.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Saturday morning couldn't have come soon enough. Ginny was dressed and ready to go long before Harry. She stood waiting for a while in jeans that captured her shape well in all the right places and a purple sweater that Harry loved, which outlined her figure perfectly. Eventually she perked up at the sound of footsteps, but it was only Neville, who informed her that both her brother and boyfriend were still asleep.

Ginny shook her head with a roll of her eyes and went upstairs to the sixth-year boys' dorm. Ron's snores could caught her ears as she past the first-years' door, and she wondered how Harry, Neville, Dean and Seamus slept with that all night.

She knocked gently and let herself in as Dean and Seamus were tying up their laces and leaving. She found Harry lying half on his side and half on his stomach, a foot sticking out from under the covers. His snores were much lighter than Ron's – but then again, whose weren't?

"Harry, sweetie, wake up," she said in a soothing voice as she shook him awake. He stirred as she kissed him on the cheek, then pushed himself up into a sitting position with one hand, the other rubbing an eye.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Ginny giggled.

"Morning, Gin," Harry replied. "What do I have to do to make you wake me up like this every morning?"

"We'll just have to see," Ginny said as she threw the covers off her boyfriend, revealing his bare torso. She smiled as she remembered that it was rare for him to sleep in a shirt. He got up and headed to the bathroom to change, then met up with her to go down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

After a quick meal of eggs and sausage, they joined the line for Hogsmeade, made it past Filch, and were soon on their way to the tiny village. Their first stop was the bookstore, to check on a romance novel that one of Ginny's friends had recommended.

"What is it about?" Harry asked, trying to appear interested. He hoped it involved Quidditch.

"This witch falls in love with a wizard, but he's in love with someone else. She uses a love potion to make him fall in love with her, but he does anyway and find out that the other woman is cheating on him," Ginny explained.

"Sounds interesting," Harry replied. He picked up a book in the Muggle section – _How to Train Your Dog_. "Hey, Gin, maybe we should send this to Snuffles!"

Ginny laughed and whole-heartedly agreed, wanting in on the joke. They made their purchases and went on to Zonko's, where they bought some Skiving Snackboxes and a couple things for pranks, specifically for Ron and Hermione. They then went to a clothing store, which seemed to take _forever_ to Harry, especially once Ginny had managed to talk him into buying a new pair of jeans and a black shirt.

_I want to rub it in everyone's face that I have a hot boyfriend,_ Ginny thought to herself, eyeing him in his new outfit as he stuffed his old one in his bag.

They then went to the Muggle shop, where Ginny stocked up on her female items and Harry went to get heating pads and ice packs for the both of them. After that was Honeydukes, where Ginny bought enough chocolate to last a month – _just in case_ – and Harry got a few extra bars and some chocolate frogs.

After that they walked around Hogsmeade for a while, the bags shrunken to fit in Ginny's handbag. They stopped at the post office to send Sirius's book.

"Why not use Hedwig?" Ginny asked as the tawny owl flew off.

"More fun this way."

Next was the apothecary for potions supplies and Scrivenshaft's for quills, ink and parchment. Once done they walked to the Three Broomsticks for lunch. They settled into a booth in the corner and decided on the chicken and chips meal. They ordered Butterbeer to drink while they waited. Ginny didn't want to talk about school – understandable, what with O.W.L.s coming up and Hermione for a best mate – so they talked about their relationship, what they wanted to do with their lives and their plans for the upcoming holiday.

Eventually the waitress brought out their lunch, and Ginny eyed it warily.

"Do you want my slaw?"

Harry looked up from his plate and wordless pushed it over.

"Don't like slaw?" he asked as she scraped it onto his plate.

"Not really," Ginny said.

After lunch they decided to walk back to the castle and walk around the lake before heading in. They walked to their spot near the lake, beneath a large oak tree. This had become their spot when Harry found his parents' carvings in the tree. _JP+LE_ in the middle of a heart. Sirius had told him about it, but Harry had doubted he'd find it.

Eventually they got up and went to the Owlery to send Remus a warning about the book via Hedwig, who would undoubtedly get there before the owl he'd sent from the post office. Then they headed back to Gryffindor Tower to spend some time together by the fire, but not before putting their stuff away in their respective dorms. While in his dorm, Harry had changed into something more comfortable for lounging around the common room.

He was just on his way back down when he felt his stomach roll. Pausing, he pressed his stomach, feeling it gurgle under his hand. Eventually it passed and he proceeded downstairs, pushing it off as nothing major.

He found Ginny sitting on the couch by the fireplace and went over to sit down beside her, but decided instead to curl up on the couch with his head on her lap. As she continued reading her new book and absentmindedly played with his hair, he closed his eyes, figuring his stomach would feel better soon. But it didn't, and within a few minutes he started to feel nauseous.

Ginny finished a chapter and closed the book, deciding to give Harry some attention. She looked at him and noticed the pained expression on his face, knowing instantly that something was wrong.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

He looked up at her, not wanting to worry her but not wanting to lie to her, either.

"Nothing, Gin, my stomach just feels a little upset. It's nothing." Harry knew that this wasn't the case, as his stomach was now churning uncomfortably. Figuring if he'd sit up then his stomach would feel better, he slowly got up and settled beside Ginny, laying his head on her shoulder. He closed his eyes and felt her hand on his forehead.

"You do feel a little warm, Harry." Ginny kissed his forehead softly, and the two settled into silence before Harry's stomach rumbled loudly.

"You okay, Harry?" Ginny asked, rubbing his back. Harry sat there for a moment before…

"Ginny, I'm gonna be sick." He slapped a hand to his mouth, the other pressed to his stomach, and took off toward the dorm bathrooms. Ginny followed him and found him in the first stall of the boys' bathroom off the sixth-years' dorm. She came up behind him and started slowly rubbing his back as proceeded to throw up in the toilet. Once he was done he leaned into her embrace.

"You okay?" Ginny asked, still rubbing his back.

"I don't feel very good, Gin," Harry moaned.

Ginny kissed the top of his head and kept rubbing his back. "Does your stomach hurt?" She felt his nod against her shoulder. "Are you going to be sick again?" She didn't want to move him to his bed, only for him to come running back. He shrugged his shoulders and moaned when he felt his stomach cramp painfully.

"It _hurts_, Gin!" Harry moaned as he wrapped both arms around his stomach. Ginny snaked one arm around his shoulder and gently pulled him toward her.

"Shhhh, it's alright, I'm here. It'll be okay, sweetie." She watched as he leaned against her, pressing his stomach and moaning quietly. "I think we need to go see Madam Pomfrey," she said eventually. She was about to help him up when he leaned over the toilet again and violently threw up. Once he was done, he leaned back into Ginny's embrace.

"Okay, let's go," he said eventually, letting her hoist him to his feet and take him to the hospital wing.

It took several stops before they made it through the large ornate doors. Ginny lowered him onto a bed and helped him to stay upright as Madam Pomfrey approached. Harry leaned into her, a sign that he really didn't feel good.

"Let me guess, you're having stomach problems?" the medi-witch asked.

Both teens' heads shot up. "How did you know?" Harry asked.

Madam Pomfrey gestured to the rest of the hospital wing, which was full of students with puke buckets and Stomach Soother. "Those who got the chicken and chips meal at the Three Broomsticks are all sick."

Ginny's eyebrows shot up. "I ate that as well and I'm not sick."

"Did it taste odd to you?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

Ginny shook her head. "No, but Harry…" Then it clicked. "I didn't eat the slaw that came with it. Harry did."

Harry groaned. "Can we not talk about…that?" He couldn't say it; if he did he thought he might throw up.

Madam Pomfrey understood, having confirmed what the other students had told her. "I still want to make sure, though, so if you could lay back for me…"

Harry sighed and lowered himself onto the pillows, feeling Madam Pomfrey lift his shirt up. She placed the cold bell of a Muggle stethoscope she had conjured on his stomach, humming every now and then as she slid it across his skin.

"Is everything alright?" Ginny asked, concerned.

"His intestines are really active. They're almost working overtime to digest food." She removed the stethoscope and started pressing on his stomach. Harry jerked immediately.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Ginny asked.

"Hand's colder than I thought it'd be," Harry replied.

"Sorry, Potter." Madam Pomfrey continued feeling around on his abdomen. She moved across his lower abdomen and worked her way up, then ran a diagnostic spell.

"It's confirmed that he has food poisoning. Unfortunately there's nothing to be done – it'll just have to run its course."

Ginny helped Harry sit up as he pulled his shirt down. "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. I'll bring him back if he gets worse," Ginny told the medi-witch as she helped Harry off the bed. Slowly the two made their way back to Gryffindor Tower, where Ginny gave the Fat Lady the password and helped Harry to his dorm. She lowered him into bed and he curled into a tight ball. She felt helpless as she rubbed his back and watched his pained facial expressions.

"Does your stomach feel any better?" she asked eventually.

"No," Harry groaned as it cramped badly. He gritted his teeth. "I can't take this; it hurts." He pressed his hands hard against his stomach, trying to find some relief.

Ginny removed her hand from his back and placed it on his stomach under his shirt. Noticing how warm the flesh of his belly felt to her cold hand, she slowly rubbed in small circles. After a few minutes, Harry relaxed a bit and turned on his back, allowing her more access to his stomach.

"How's this feel?" Ginny asked.

"Good," Harry groaned, feeling her fingers work against his crampy belly. Her stomach rub was almost enough to put him to sleep. He was feeling less and less crampy the more she did it.

"Hang on one moment," Ginny said after a few minutes, feeling his stomach gurgle under her hand. She paused her massage and conjured a plain gray bucket, plopping it down at the side of the bed before continuing. "In case you feel like you're going to be sick."

Several more minutes passed before Harry's eyes drooped and his breathing evened out, but Ginny kept rubbing his stomach, afraid he'd wake up if she quit. When it was apparent that he was now fast asleep, she laid down beside him and pulled him close, continuing to rub his achy belly.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, he was on his side facing her. She gently placed her hand on his forehead, relieved that he felt a little cooler. She placed her hand on his stomach, wondering if it still hurt.

Harry turned on his back and turned his head to look at her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. "Any better?"

"A little. My stomach still sort of hurts." Harry cringed when he felt it gurgle. He knew it was empty and just wanted to be fed, but he wasn't up for food at the moment. The thought of eating caused his nausea to return.

"Gin, I'm gonna be sick." Ginny reached over Harry and grabbed the bucket. He sat up and heaved what felt like a week's worth of food as she sat there rubbing his back. It finally stopped after five minutes of constant puking, and Ginny got up and went to the water pitcher, returning with a glass of water.

"Here, take slow sips. We don't want you to get dehydrated." Ginny handed Harry the cup, and he did as he was told. After drinking some water, Harry laid back down in bed and turned on his side, wrapping his arms tightly around his middle.

"My stomach hurts," he moaned into the pillow. He turned onto his back and pressed his hands to his belly. Ginny sat down on the side of the bed, moved his hands out of the way, and rubbed his stomach, trying to help relieve the pain in there. Eventually the worst of the cramps passed.

"It's okay, you'll feel better soon. I promise," she muttered, trying to soothe her sick boyfriend.

Harry lay there, feeling Ginny's hands rubbing his stomach, relaxing him. This was the first time he had been sick since he and Ginny began dating. He never doubted that if he got sick, she would take care of him, just like he would take care of her if she was sick.

Soon his stomach decided to make its presence known as it let out a loud rumbling sound. He shot up as Ginny placed the bucket in front of him. He felt his stomach roll into knots, and soon he was throwing up in the bucket, but since he only threw up for less than a minute, Ginny knew he was starting to recover.

"How are you feeling now?" Ginny asked as he lay back down.

"A bit better. My stomach doesn't hurt as bad as it did."

Ginny went back to where the water pitcher was and fixed another cup. She came back with two, one full and the other with only a little bit of water. She handed the latter to him first.

"Use this and rinse your mouth. Maybe this will get rid of the yucky taste."

Harry did as he was told and once he spit the water in the bucket, Ginny handed him the other cup of water.

"Drink it slowly," she advised.

Once Harry was done he lay back down and felt Ginny behind him, her hand snaking around his waist and under his shirt. Soon he felt her hand rubbing his stomach soothingly, then he felt his eyes get droopy and he knew no more.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

A few hours later Harry woke up, feeling a lot better, if a little sore. He looked around for Ginny and found her sitting on Ron's bed, watching him.

"Professor McGonagall has been up here to check on you. Madam Pomfrey told her that you were among those who'd gotten sick. Seamus and Dean are in the hospital wing and Neville is with Luna. She's gotten a horrible cold and Madam Pomfrey asked him to stay and take care of her. And Ron is with Hermione, down in the common room," she explained, figuring Harry would ask if any of his dorm mates had been in the room since he'd fallen asleep. She got up and walked to his side, settling herself on the side of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Harry replied. "My stomach doesn't hurt, but it feels kind of sore." He laid there are as Ginny ran her fingers through his hair. Soon he piped up. "Gin, can I get another stomach rub?"

Ginny smiled and pulled up his shirt. She started rubbing his stomach in circles like she had been doing all day. "Feel better?" she asked.

Harry nodded, feeling relaxed and loved.

"Sorry I ruined our date," he eventually mumbled. Ginny paused rubbing his stomach, resting her hand on the middle of his belly.

"What do you mean, 'ruined our date'?" she asked, continuing her massage on Harry's stomach.

"This was our first date. We had a good time and everything was going good until I got sick," Harry explained, knowing Sirius would never let him live this one down.

"Harry, look at me," Ginny muttered. Harry didn't, feeling like it was his fault that their first date ended so badly. "Harry James Potter, look at me."

Harry sighed and looked at her, her brown eyes meeting his green ones.

"You didn't ruin our first date by getting sick. Rather the opposite," Ginny said, running her fingers through his now-tangled hair. She gently worked out the tangles she found with her hands.

"How? Watching me puke my guts up and hold my stomach in pain isn't what I had in mind for our first date."

"It wasn't your fault you got food poisoning. No one could have guessed that. Besides, our date was over when we came back here," Ginny explained, moving her hand from his hair to his stomach. "I don't know about you but this was the best first date I ever had." She dipped her hand to Harry's lower abdomen, playing with the little patch of black hair under his navel. Harry had to fight himself from jerking away. She then started scratching his stomach, making him sleepy. She laid down beside him and continued scratching his stomach.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. And I agree, Gin. It was the best first date I ever had."

The young couple laid there in bed, enjoying each other's company. Harry allowed himself to relax under Ginny's scratching and rubbing. Five minutes later, he broke the silence.

"Thanks for taking care of me, by the way," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"I will always take care of you," Ginny replied, pulling him into an embrace. Harry broke the silence once again when he said "I just remembered something".

"What?" Ginny asked.

"This" with that, Harry kissed her on the lips. Harry made a mental note to always end or seal their dates with a kiss. After a few seconds, they parted.

Ginny sat there holding him until he fell asleep again. Then she lowered him back onto the pillows and kissed him on the cheek. "Good night, sweetheart," she whispered, earning herself a small smile from her sleeping boyfriend before making her way back to her own dorm to sleep off the few hours remaining before breakfast.

When asked about their date, they both replied "it was the best first date I ever had".


End file.
